Survey in France reveals growing Islamist sympathies among youth

Young Muslim women. Photo: Y. Weeks/VOA, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

On 18 November 2025, an Ifop survey published by European Conservative revealed a rise in Islamist-leaning attitudes among young people in France. The study records significant shifts in religiosity and political orientation compared to the late 1980s.

According to the poll, the rapid demographic growth of the Muslim population is accompanied by a strengthening of religious practice – from daily prayer to strict adherence to Islamic prescriptions. Islam has long become the country’s second-largest religion, and among the youth the share of practicing believers has risen especially sharply.

The report highlights a dramatic increase in youth participation in religious life: mosque attendance among those under 25 has multiplied several times compared to 1989, and the observance of Ramadan and the wearing of the hijab show a steady rise among young people.

At the same time, the study notes a growing sympathy for radical currents. A substantial share of young Muslims surveyed place Islamic norms above the laws of the Republic, and interest in Islamist movements – including the Muslim Brotherhood – has risen noticeably compared to previous decades.

The publication of the poll sparked concern among French politicians. Right-wing parties argue that the data confirm a widening ideological rift in society and criticize the left for refusing to acknowledge the problem.

The National Rally also accused the government of inaction, reminding the public that measures to counter Islamist influence had been proposed years earlier.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a group of Islamist women planning terrorist attacks in Paris had been exposed in France.

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